Low-risk Beijing cinemas reopen at 30% capacity

Movie theatres in Beijing were set for the start of a gradual reopening on Friday after closing for six months to contain the spread of the new coronavirus. Only cinemas in the low-risk areas in the Chinese capital are allowed to restart operations with strict safety measures.

Attendance in each hall is limited to 30% and ticketing can only be completed online with real name registration.

Eating and drinking in the theatre are not allowed, health QR codes and body temperatures have to be checked before entering a theatre.

Tickets in Poly International Cinema's branch near Tiananmen Square were sold out on the first day of reopening.

Movie poster designer Liu Jingyu managed to grab tickets for both Hollywood movies on the special day.

Liu said the announcement of cinema reopen rekindled his hope after not making a penny for the past six months.

"For us who make a living on movies and who are movie enthusiasts, without movies our life is full of pains. It feels like something is missing in our life," said Liu.

Many in China are enthusiastic moviegoers and the country was expected to surpass the United States this year as the world's biggest box office before the pandemic hit.

Li Xu, manager of the Poly cinema branch, said he was looking forward to the National Day holiday when the movie market could return to normal.

In 2019, Chinese cinemas generated a record 5 billion yuan (708 million US dollars) from September 30 to October 7.

Movie theatres in China's Shanghai, Hangzhou and Guilin reopened earlier this week with limited number of audiences.